I bought a used TC Hawken last fall and I am trying to re-do the barrel. It was a kit gun and the builder did not file or blue it very well. there were many gouges and linesfrom bits of metal embedded in the file, probably a dull file, and the color was blotchy. I am wanting to do a rust brown finish. I clamped the barrel to my milling table and with a block to support the end of my file I proceeded to file out the gouges and flatten the flats. That is where I'm at right now. My file job left tiny hair lines kind of like what's on my new GMB. I want to sand them out by wrapping my file with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. What would be a good place to stop 320grit? 400? 600? I can get up to 1200 emery cloth but I think I'll still be sanding when deer season comes around if I have to go that fine. What do you think? How good is enough?

Did you draw file it? If you draw file it and clean your file every few strokes with a file cleaning brush you should not have lines in it. You have to use a broad double flat very fine file. Lee

i'd stay right at 220. I did coreys hawken barrel with 220 and it came out excellent. If you go to fine, the browning/bluing will not stick.

Thanks MD That makes sense. I'm not adverse to work but I hate working against myself.